Pro-Ject Audio Systems is an Austrian hi-fi brand founded in 1991 by Heinz Lichtenegger and based in Mistelbach, Lower Austria. The first turntable, the Pro-Ject 1, was a reworking of a model produced at the former Tesla factory in Litovel, Czech Republic. Today, Pro-Ject products are designed in Austria and manufactured in factories in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany, and the brand is present in over 80 countries. The Pro-Ject 1 won the EISA Best Buy Turntable Award in 1991, the first of numerous international accolades, including several Red Dot Design Awards.
The idea behind Pro-Ject is to make high-fidelity vinyl accessible to a wide audience, with ready-to-use turntables and accessories and upgrades to improve them over time.
Many Pro-Ject turntables share recognizable construction features: carbon fiber tonearms, like the 8,6-inch Debut EVO 2, damped platters with TPE rings, and adjustable damped feet. The Debut EVO 2, launched in 2024, has a non-magnetic die-cast aluminum platter, which also allows for the use of moving coil cartridges, and the Pick it MM EVO cartridge made by Ortofon. The Debut PRO, launched in 2021 to celebrate the brand's thirtieth anniversary, has a one-piece carbon and aluminum tonearm with azimuth and VTA adjustment. Since 2023, the catalog has also included EVO tonearms, available separately in 9-, 10-, and 12-inch lengths.
The range of turntables is very broad: from the entry-level models of the E, T1, and T2 series to the Debut, introduced in 1999 and now available as the Debut EVO 2, Debut PRO, and Debut Reference, up to the X, RPM Carbon, The Classic, X-tension, and Signature series. There are also the A1.2 and A2 automatic turntables, models with Bluetooth or integrated phono preamplifier, and special editions of the Artist Collection dedicated to The Beatles, Metallica, Elvis, Harley-Davidson, and others.
Alongside turntables, Pro-Ject offers compact electronics from the Box line: phono preamplifiers (Phono Box, Tube Box), DAC converters (DAC Box), streamers (Stream Box), headphone amplifiers (Head Box), preamplifiers and power amplifiers (Pre Box, Amp Box), integrated amplifiers (MaiA, Stereo Box), CD players and transports (CD Box), tuners (Tuner Box), and external power supplies (Power Box). The abbreviations indicate the level: E for input, then S2 and S3, DS3 with flagship features such as balanced operation, and RS2 at the top. The offering is rounded out by Pick It cartridges, tuning accessories, and record cleaners.
When choosing, the first criterion is the amplifier. If it doesn't have a phono input, the T1 EVO Phono has a switchable preamplifier and connects to any line input, while the T1 EVO BT also transmits via Bluetooth. Those who already have a good phono input can opt for the Debut EVO 2 or Debut PRO, which, thanks to their non-magnetic platter, also accept MC cartridges, paired with a DS3 B Phono Box or an MC Step Up Box. Those who prefer not to touch the tonearm at the end of the record can choose the A1.2 and A2 automatic tonearms.
In our Carpi showroom, you can listen to Pro-Ject turntables and electronics in the listening room and receive advice on matching them with cartridges and systems. The same models can be ordered online at audiocostruzioni.com with shipping, asking us for advice first by email if necessary.
